All season, Mater Dei High School's girls' basketball team carried the weight of the West Side on its shoulders.

Returning most of the major components from last season's Class 2A state championship team — especially Tori Schickel inside and Maura Muensterman outside — many prognosticators expected the Wildcats to repeat.

After surviving a major scare from No. 2 Heritage Christian in overtime in the Bedford Semistate, the top-ranked 'Cats pounded Eastern (Greentown) in the state final on Saturday at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, becoming only the second team in Evansville prep basketball history to win back-to-back state championships. They joined Bosse's boys, who went back-to-back way back in 1944 and '45.

Following his Comets' 62-42 loss to Mater Dei in the title game, Eastern coach Jeremy Dexter said the Wildcats might be the best team in the state at any level. Mater Dei (28-2) lost to then-nationally ranked Columbus North, a 4A school, 63-55, Dec. 28 in the Hall of Fame Classic at New Castle, and 60-52 to 4A Castle Jan. 12 in the championship game of the Old National Bank Classic when Muensterman was sidelined with an ankle injury.

If the Wildcats three-peat, they have to do it up a class in 3A because of the IHSAA's implementation of the controversial "success factor" next season.

"We knew coming into the (semistate) that we will move up (next season)," said Schickel, a 6-foot-2 sophomore center who scored 18 points in the championship game to increase her career total to 1,011 while also grabbing a 2A state title game record 17 rebounds, plus three blocked shots. "That's more motivation for us to go out and play strong. We're two-time state champions. We hope to come back and do it again next year."

Muensterman, a 5-11 junior all-state guard who has made an oral commitment to Indiana University, echoed Schickel's sentiments.

"We hope to go to 3A and win it all," Muensterman said. "To win it in 3A would be awesome."

Playing in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference, Mater Dei already faces several Class 3A and 4A schools, and coach Steve Goans will again schedule summer games against 4A foes.

"The last two years we've faced tough competition in the summer," Goans said.

Mater Dei will return four starters next year: Muensterman, Schickel and guards Ashlynn Spahn and Katelyn Bueltel. Beth Fischer, the lone senior starter on this season's team, had a ready explanation for the Wildcats' success, besides the obvious talent factor.

"I think everybody is so unselfish," she said.

No one could say their road to a state championship was easy. Mater Dei knocked off No. 2 Heritage Christian in the semistate, No. 3 Sullivan and No. 4 Paoli in the Paoli Regional before routing No. 6 Eastern in the state final.

Throughout the season, Goans preached to his team to relax, have fun and enjoy the ride.

"You dream about who you want to be and what you get to do," said Goans, 54.